Flat end and chain cleaning card attachment for carding machines and the like



K. w. SMITH 3,494,000

CLEANING CARD ATTACHMENT FOR CARDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Feb. 10, 1970FLAT END AND CHAIN Filed Dec. 5. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Kggneihism/M ATTORNEYS 1 1970 K w. SMITH 3,494,000

FLAT END AND CHAIN CLEANING CARD ATTACHMENT FOR Filed Dec, 5, 1966CARDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 K m My BY a,

W a aa f ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 19-102 1 Claim ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE The usual arcuate flanges 11 of the side arches 10 ofthe conventional carding machine adjustably support the opposedextensible, radially extending brackets 38 whose top bearings supportthe driven cross shaft 29 which is located between the runs ofchain-carried flats 24a, said shaft 29 having a fixed cleaner brush 28adjacent each end (see FIG. 4). The diametrically smaller brush portions28a clean the adjacent chain 24b and the larger outer brush portions 28bclean the outer portions of related flats 24a. For ordinary flat end andchain cleaning during normal machine operation, various low speed drivesof brush shaft 29 are available as shown in FIG. 1 by dotted drivebelt-indicating lines 34a and 34b to brush shaft pulley 33 from variousones of conventional driven shafts of the machine including thelicker-in shaft 16b which latter is made available by shifting brackets38 on arcuate flanges 11 to the dotted line position of FIG. 1; and suchshifting of 38 enables belt 34a to be tightened When used. But foractually polishing, the flat ends chain the high speed drive 34 to brushshaft pulley 33 from the large pulley on card shaft 12 is used.

The present invention relates to attachments for carding machines andthe like.

Briefly and generated stated, the invention has for its primary objectto provide for more efficient operation of carding machine and the likeby providing novel means for keeping the flat-carrying chains free offoreign matter; but which also operates to prevent the accumulation offoreign matter on the fiat ends at opposite sides of the machine.

More specifically, the invention contemplates an attachment ascharacterized having driven brush means which is simple in construction;easy to install; applicable to all standard machines; and is adjustableto different positions as occasion may require for either slow or highspeed drive from selected driven shafts which standard carding machinesprovide.

Invention also resides in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts, and in modes of operation thereof.

Referring to the drawings which disclose a now preferred form of theinvention- FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a carding machineto which the attachment is applied;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the flat assembly and oneof the brushes as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of one of the brushes and related shaft;

FIG. 4 is partly broken top plan of the chain-carried flat assemblyshowing the relationship of the brushes and brush shaft thereto, othersubjacent carding machine structure being deleted for the sake ofclarity;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of one of the brush shaft brackets and itssupport; and

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the conventionalcarding machine which is fragmentarily illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 hasa card base-carried arch "ice 10 at each side of the card cylinder; andthe outer surface of each of said arches 10 has the usual arcual flanges11.

Upstanding mounts 13 on each side of the machine base support the cardcylinder-carrying drive shaft 12, one end of which latter has a large,and at least, functionally integral and multiply grooved drive pulley14, which is conventionally driven by the belt 15 from an electric motor(not shown). Another groove of pulley 14 has the belt drive connection16 with the licker-in shaft drive pulley 16a.

As usual, a small pulley 17 on shaft 12 is the drive source for theconventional endless card cylinder-overlying flat assembly 24 whichcomprises flats 24a carried by the side chains 24b. Thus, referring toFIG. 1, the belt 18 from pulley 17 drives the fixed pulley 20 of shaft19; and a gear 21 on the latter meshes with the fixed gear 22a on shaft23 which latter has at each end the drive sprockets or the like 22 forthe side chains 24b of flat assembly 24.

The customary sprocketform or other disks 25 on cross shafts 25a supportthe flat assembly chains 24b at opposite sides of the machine and saidshafts 25a are journalled in the top end bearings of brackets 26 whichare secured as at 27 to arches 10 above flanges 11.

Coming now to the present invention, same comprises circular chain andflat end-cleaning brushes 28 which are made fast adjacent each end of adriven arch-carried cross shaft 29 which extends between the upper andlower runs of the endless flat assembly 24.

The brushes 28 are duplicates and have their hubs 31 secured to shaft 29by clamp bolts 32. Also, each brush 28 has an inner chain cleaningportion 28a and a diametrically larger outer portion 28b which engagesagainst the end-adjacent areas of flats 24a. Brush portions 28a engageboth the upper and lower runs of the related chain 24b; and brushportions 28b do the same as to adjacent chain sides and the relatedend-adjacent areas of the upper and lower runs of flats 24a.

The brush-carrying cross shaft 29 has its ends journalled in preferablyball bearing type bearings 30 at the upper ends of the arch-carried,arcuately shiftable and extensible brackets which are generallydesignated at 38. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a pulley 33 fast on one end ofbrush shaft 29.

For not only clearing of foreign matter from chains 24b and the ends offlats 24a (see FIG. 1) but also for polishing same, said shaft 29 willbe periodically driven at high speed, from a groove of pulley 14, bybelt 34 which is trained over the latter and the brush pulley 33 asshown in full lines in FIG. 1.

However, for simply clearing lint, etc. from the chains 24b and adjacentends of the flats 24 in the normal operations of the machine, only a lowspeed drive of brush shaft 29 is necessary.

Since the brush shaft 29 supporting brackets 38 are arcually adjustableon the flanges 11 of arches 10, as illustrated in dotted linesh in FIG.1, various low speed drives of brush shaft 29 from a pulley 19a on shaft'19 or from pulley 16a on the usual licker-inshaft 16b per therespective broken line drive belt showings 34a and 34b of FIG. 1; and ofcourse the identical belt 34 can be used if desiredalthough shorterbelts are illustrated.

Coming now to the frame-carried brackets 38 for the brush shaft bearingunits 30 at opposite sides of the machine, each of same comprises theextensibly connected sections 39, 40. These sections 39, 40 arerespectively slotted longitudinally as indicated at 39a, 40a, and areadjustably clamped together by bolts 44 extending through the alignedslots, the respective bolts have the clamp nuts 45. The brackets 38, asheretofore indicated, are also adjustable circumferentially on therespective flanges 11 of the related arches 10. This bracket 38adjustment is made possible by forming the base 42 of each of the lowerbracket members 40 with a lateral groove form seat 42a to receive thecircular flange 11 of the related arch 10. Clamp bolts 43 secure thebase portions 42 in selected adjusted position on the related flanges11.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a carding machine for textile treatment providing a base, a drivensuperjacent card cylinder, a transversely extending base-carried firstdrive shaft on which said cylinder is fixedly mounted, an upstandingbase-carried arch at each side of the machine and overlying the cardcylinder sides, the outer surface of each arch having an arcuateoutwardly extending flange, an endless series of sprocket sidechain-carried flats providing vertically spaced upper and lower runswith the lower run cooperating with the card cylinder, and arch-carriedmeans spacing said upper and lower flat runs, arch-carried drive meansfor said endless flat series and comprising a second drive shaftextending transversely of the machine, a sprocket gear fast on saidsecond drive shaft adjacent each end thereof and operatively engagingthe adjacent one of said flat-carrying sprocket chains, a drivenlicker-in shaft constituting a third transversely extending base-carriedshaft; the improvement which comprises arch-carried brackets at eachside of said cylinder, a hearing at the upper end of each bracket andaligned with the space between said upper and lower flat runs, a drivenshaft journalled in said bearings, circular brushes fast on said lastmentioned shaft adjacent each of the opposite ends of the latter, saidbrushes operatively engaging the sprocket chains of both the upper andlower flat runs, and a drive connection between said brush shaft and aselected one of said other shafts, each brush having a portion ofincreased diameter overlying adjacent flat ends to clean the latter, andthe outer surface of each of said arches having an arcuate outwardlyextending flange located inwardly of its upper and side edges, the lowerportions of the brush shaft-supporting brackets having inwardly openingseats receiving the related side frame flange, whereby said brackets canbe adjusted lengthwise of the related flanges to position the brushshaft at different positions with respect to said flat series and theaforementioned shafts, =bracket-carried clamping means engaging saidflanges to retain the brackets in a predetermined set position, thedrive connection between said brush shaft and a selected one of saidother shafts comprising a pulley fast on one brush shaft end, a brushshaft drive pulley on the corresponding end of each of said three otheraforementioned shafts, an endless flexible drive connection selectivelyconnecting the brush carried shaft pulley with one of said threeshaft-carried drive pulleys, a belt driven pulley of substantialdiameter on the aforementioned end of said first shaft (namely the cardcylinder drive shaft), a drive connection between said beltdriven pulleyand the licker-in shaft, and the brush shaft drive pulley of said firstshaft being functionally integral with said belt driven pulley and alsobeing of larger diameter than the brush shaft drive pulleys of the othertwo of said three shafts for use when high speed drive of the brushshaft is desired for chain and flat end polishing purposes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 597,314 1/1898 Coffin 19-102623,094 4/1899 Mills et al. 19102 1,297,367 3/1919 Lamb 19-102 1,479,6391/1924 Albrecht 19111 2,181,535 11/1939 Schlipp et a1 19102 XR FOREIGNPATENTS 7,235 1915 Great Britain. 4,950 1892 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Saco-Lowell Bulletin, September 1949, p. 30.

DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner

